Double pole switch

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to double pole contact switches for use on automobile electrically operated systems such as the doors, windows and seats and, more particularly, to double pole contact switches wherein each contact set of the movable contact carrier is made up of a plurality of laminated sheet metal blades, with one blade having a movable contact, and a second blade having an independently movable arcing contact. The arcing contact is arranged and constructed to contact a stationary contact prior to electrical contact being made with the stationary contact by the movable contact. The function of the arcing contact is to extinguish or dissipate any contact arcing that may occur across the movable contact and stationary contact to prevent contact pitting.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Dale W. Pigeon 1,719,302 7/1929 Meyer 200/146 Royal Oak, Mich. 1,837,812 12/1931 Greenwood. 200/146 [21] Appl. No. 881,206 2,507,381 5/1950 Morse 200/146 X [22] Filed Dec. 1,1969 2,966,559 12/1960 Meyer 200/153.l0X [45] Patented Nov. 23,1971 2,968,703 l/196l Meyer et al ZOO/153110 X [73] Assignee General Motors Corporation 3,131,265 4/1964 Toruk 200/6 Damn Mlch' Primary Examiner-D. F. Duggan Assistant Examiner-Ulysses Weldon K54] DOUBLE POLE SWITCH Attorneys-Sidney Carter and Peter A. Taucher 1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 200/153, ABSTRACT: The invention relates to double pole contact 200/166 switches for use on automobile electrically operated systems [51] Int. Cl "01h 3/00 such as the doors, windows and seats and, more particularly, [50] Field of Search 200/49, to double pole contact switches wherein each contact set of 6l.27,6,6B,l46,l44,l53.l0,154,159,164, the movable contact carrier is made up of a plurality of 166 F, 153 laminated sheet metal blades, with one blade having a movable contact, and a second blade having an independently [56] References cued movable arcing contact. The arcing contact is arranged and UNITED STATES PATENTS constructed to contact a stationary contact prior to electrical 1,837,812 12/1931 Greenwood 200/146 contact being made with the stationary contact by the mova- 29 559 2 19 3 Meyer ZOO/15110 X ble contact. The function of the arcing contact is to extinguish 697,533 4/1902 Pimlott.. 200/146X or dissipate any contact arcing that may occur across the 1 244 225 10/1917 Mayer 4 x movable contact and stationary contact to prevent contact pitting.

219 K x 2/ a 2! 4/ a if DOUBLE POLE SWITCH While it is recognized that circuit controllers such as shown in US. Pat. No. 697,533 demonstrate controlled arcing construction, the prior art switches are absent the teaching of switches having a laminated sheet metal contact carrier mounting, whereby the laminations that make up the contact carrier mounting retain and move a movable contact, as well as an arcing contact, and serve to move the contacts into and out of engagement with the stationary contacts, and to bias the contact actuating lever into a neutral position.

The invention relates to an improved switch having a novel laminated sheet metal contact carrier easily and inexpensively made from sheet metal stampings, wherein its construction provides long switch life by preventing arcing and pitting of the contacts.

FIG. 1 shows the switch in an installed position;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIGS. I and and showing the construction of one contact set prior to being actuated bythe actuating lever, with a portion of the blades being broken away;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 and shows the arcing contact in contact with stationary contact;

FIG. 4 is a cutaway view of FIG. 3 showing the arcing contact, the movable contact, and the stationary contacts in position to energize a circuit; and

FIG. 5 is a front view of the laminated double contacts of the switch.

FIG. I shows the switch mounted in a panel 14 having a contact actuating lever or button 12 or the like projecting from the front of the switch. The mounting is a typical one found in automobile door panels, where the automobile has electrical means to lock and unlock the doors. The switch could also be used in electrically adjustable automobile seat applications, as well as to raise and lower the windows.

As seen in FIG. 2, the switch 10 includes a housing 16 having a plurality of stationary terminals 18, thereon. Terminal 18 acts as the ground terminal, while tenninal 20 has a stationary contact 21 that is within the housing and in the circuit to be energized. Contact carrier 22 is held in position within housing 16 by a rivet 24 or a similar fastening member, and stationary ground contact 18. The contact carrier is made up of a plurality of resilient sheet metal members. As best shown in FIG. 5, each set of contact blades 26, 28, is cut from or stamped out of the ends of the resilient sheets forming contact carrier 22 to leave a large integral center section 33 which is the point of greatest flexing stress. The blades of each contact set are thereafter bent as best shown in FIG. 2. The formed sheets with integrally formed blades are placed one on top of the other, as is generally done in making laminations, and are fastened parallel to the housing in the interior thereof, by rivet 24 and terminal 18.

Blade 26 engages actuator 12 and aids in biasing the actuating lever or button 13 to the center position. Actuator 12 is pivotally held and supported in housing 16 by pin 32 with the actuating lever 13 extending from the housing through opening 34. As is described in further detail hereinafter with reference to FIG. 5, a similar set of contact blades including a second blade 26 is arranged in similar contact with actuator 12 on the other side of pivot 32, thus the two blades acting together on actuator 12, position the actuator 12 in a neutral position when the switch is not being used. Blade 28 is the blade closest to the stationary terminal 18, 20 and has mounted thereon a movable contact 36, one end 23 of which extends through and beyond an opening 29 in blade 30 and contacts blade 26 with the other end 37 of the movable contact being formed to make electrical contact with corresponding contact 21. Middle blade 30 has an arcing contact 38 formed at the end having the opening 29, which contact is adjacent to but is not in contact with the movable contact 36. Arcing contact 38 also extends beyond the end 37 of movable contact 36. Blade 26 initially adjacent blade 30 along a portion as at 25, is formed with an additional outward bend as at 40 so as to loosely contact the end 23 of the movable contact 36 and engage actuator 12 to bias the actuating lever 13 to the plates showing the center position. As will be more specifically described, end section 27 of the blade. beyond the bend at 40 moves the movable contact 36 into engagement with the stationary contact by forcing blade 28 away from blade 30 by moving end 23 through opening 29, in blade 30.

In operation of one pole of the double pole switch, as the actuating lever 13 is moved upwardly, for example, blade 26, as well as blades 28 and 30, will be moved to the left, as viewed in FIG. 2, toward stationary contact 21. As the blades continue to be moved by the actuating lever, first arcing contact 38 on blade 30 that is above, and extends beyond movable contact 36 toward stationary contact 21, makes contact with the stationary contact 21, as best shown in FIG. 3. When arcing contact 38 engages stationary contact 21, an initial relatively low resistance conductive path is provided from contact 21 through blade 30 to allow current to flow from the hot terminal 21 through blade 30 to preclude arcing across the high resistance airgap to the movable contact 36 as the latter is further moved into contact with the stationary contact 21, as the actuating lever and blades 26 and 28 continue to be moved to the left. Continued movement of the actuator 13 moves contact 36 to engage the stationary contact, as best shown in FIG. 4, to permit free flow of current to energize the electrical circuit. Upon the circuit being broken, or opened, the arcing contact works in a reverse manner then in energizing the circuit, and in so doing, further reduces arcing across the contacts.

FIG. 5 shows both poles of the double pole switch, with one movable contact at the bottom of the contact carrier and one at the top diagonally across from each other. In operation, movement of the actuating lever 13 upwardly, as previously described and as shown in FIG. 3, will move the right contact. Movement of the actuating lever in a downward direction will move the left contact in the same sequence as described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

By providing an arcing contact on blade 30, arcing between the movable and stationary contacts is substantially eliminated which, in turn, prevents contact pitting to increase contact life and also provide better operation. By making blade arm 30 of an arc-resistant material and providing a relatively short arcing path between contacts 38 and 21, current will flow first from the hot terminal through blade 30, rather than take the long are path toward movable contact 36 as the latter is being moved into engagement with stationary contact 21.

By also providing a relatively large area of engagement between contact carrier 22 and the housing 16 at the rivet attaching area, flexing stress at the base connecting area of the blades to the main sheet area 33 is distributed over a greater area thus giving the switch a longer life by preventing the breaking of the housing or contact carrier at the rivet. Further, by the construction shown, the contact carrier and blades can be made inexpensively and on a mass production basis by the stamping of sheet metal.

What is claimed is:

l. A switch mechanism comprising a housing, a stationary contact mounted in said housing, a contact carrier formed from three separate resilient sheet metal sheets having a laminated relationship in their assembly also mounted in said housing, said carrier having a first blade with a movable contact mounted thereon opposite said stationary contact, a second blade adjacent to and in engagement with said first blade and having an arcing contact at one end, adjacent to said movable contact and which extends beyond said movable contact toward said stationary contact, a third blade adjacent said second blade in contact therewith along a portion thereof and being spaced apart from the second blade at the arcing contact end, and an actuator lever pivotally mounted in said housing opposite said stationary contact and also in contact with said third blade, said movable contact having a portion thereof that extends through an opening formed in said second blade and is in contact with said third blade, whereby said movable contact is moved into engagement with said stationary contact after the arcing contact first engages said stationary sheet metal, said contact carrier being attached to the housing adjacent said stationary contact means at the interconnected members with said two groups of blades being inclined away from said stationary contact toward said actuator lever, to loosely engage said actuator lever and bias it to the neutral position when the switch mechanism is not being used. 

1. A switch mechanism comprising a housing, a stationary contact mounted in said housing, a contact carrier formed from three separate resilient sheet metal sheets having a laminated relationship in their assembly also mounted in said housing, said carrier having a first blade with a movable contact mounted thereon opposite said stationary contact, a second blade adjacent to and in engagement with said first blade and having an arcing contact at one end, adjacent to said movable contact and which extends beyond said movable contact toward said stationary contact, a third blade adjacent said second blade in contact therewith along a portion thereof and being spaced apart from the second blade at the arcing contact end, and an actuator lever pivotally mounted in said housing opposite said stationary contact and also in contact with said third blade, said movable contact having a portion thereof that extends through an opening formed in said second blade and is in contact with said third blade, whereby said movable contact is moved into engagement with said stationary contact after the arcing contact first engages said stationary contact by continued movement of that portion of the movable contact that extends through the opening in said second blade through the movement of the third blade by the actuator lever, said contact carrier having a second group of blades and contacts formed opposite and diagonally across from the first mentioned group of blades that are interconnected with said first group of blades, by separate integral members of resilient sheet metal, said contact carrier being attached to the housing adjacent said stationary contact means at the interconnected members with said two groups of blades being inclined away from said stationary contact toward said actuator lever, to loosely engage said actuator lever and bias it to the neutral position when the switch mechanism is not being used. 